Why Should I Geotag Photos on Google My Business?
If you are an SEO consultant, you have probably heard the phrase “geotagging” before. The term refers to the process of adding geo-specific metadata (positional information) to photos, websites or RSS feeds so that search engines can identify the location of the tagged item. This data can be used to improve a site’s ranking in a search engine, particularly for local searches.
Is geotagging good for GMB?
If your business has a Google My Business listing, you may have noticed that some of the photos that you upload to your listing contain geotags. The geotags tell Google where your business is located so that people can find you more easily in a search.
However, is it worth the effort? There is a lot of controversy over geotagging and its impact on rankings. Some say that geotags help your GMB listing rank better in a local search, while others claim that they do not.
The truth is that geotagging doesn’t actually help your GMB listing rank in a local search. In fact, it does little to nothing unless you do some other SEO work on your listing.
1. You don’t need to geotag photos on your GMB listing if they have EXIF or meta data already.
In most cases, your business’s location is already stored in the metadata of your photos – that is, they are automatically geotagged if you have enabled location services on your smartphone. Alternatively, you can add the GPS coordinates manually using geotagging software or third-party applications like Google Picasa that allow you to drag and drop photos onto an online map.
2. You can also use geotagging to make your images more relevant in a local search by embedding a target keyword and location name into an image’s file name.
3. Enables a brand to engage with its audience in a more meaningful way
Another benefit of geotagging is that it gives your customers and followers a deeper insight into the places you are visiting and the things you’re doing. This can be especially useful for businesses that rely on travel as a marketing strategy.
4. It can be a great way to get users to engage with your brand’s location by running photo contests
If you have a brand that is passionate about a specific area or cause, consider offering incentives for followers and fans to tag their images with your hashtag. For example, Tito’s Vodka encourages its fans to tag their pets with #vodkafordogpeople, which helps the company promote its stance on reducing homeless animals and increase awareness of its product.
5. It helps your visitors and followers locate places they’re interested in
Many users take advantage of geotagging when tracking a trip or vacation, looking at landmarks or sites on a web map and identifying the locations where their photographs were taken. For instance, NASA’s Adopt a Pixel campaign uses geotagged photographs to gather ground-based imagery for improving the quality of satellite-based land cover studies.
